When thou hast spent thy own breath and sph-its in praising God, thou hadst need beg a collection of praises of all thy friends who have a heart to contribute to such work, that they woxild help thee in paying this debt ; yet all this (with what in heaven thou shalt disburse thyself to all eternity, in better coin than can be expected from thee here, where thy soul is embased with sinful mix- tures,) must be accounted rather an acknowledgment of what thou owest to thy God, than any payment of the debt.
Section II. — Live up to thy hopes. Christian ; let there be a decorum kept between thy principles and thy practices, — thy hope of heaven, and walk on earth. The eye should direct the foot. Thou lookest for salvation ; walk the same way thy ej'e looks. This being so often pressed in the word, shews both its necessity and difficulty. Sometimes we are stirred up to act ' as becometh saints,' Rom. xvi. 2; Eph. v. 3. Sometimes, 'as becometh the gospel of Christ,' Phil. i. 27. Sometimes, as becometh those who pi'ofess godliness, 1 Tim. ii. 10. There is a decorum, which if a Christian doth not observe in his walking, he betrays his high calling and hopes unto scorn. To look high and to live low, how ridiculous it appears ! When a man is dressed on piu-pose to be laughed at, and made a jeering stock, they put on him something of the king, and something of the beggar, that, by this patchwork of mock-majesty, he may appear the greater fool to all the company. And certainly, if the devil might have the dressing of a man, so as to cast the greater shame and ignominy upon him, yea, upon Christ and the profession of his gospel, he could not think of a readier way than to persuade a wretch to pretend to high and glorious hopes of heaven, and then to have nothing suitable to the high-flown hopes in his conversation, but all base and imworthy of such royal claims. If ye shall see one going into the field with a helmet of brass on his head, but a wooden sword in one hand, and a paper shield in the other, and the rest of his armour similar to these, you would expect he was not likely to hurt his enemies, except they should break their sides with laughing at him. Such a goodly spectacle is the vain professor, who lifts up his head on high, with a bold expectation of salvation, but cannot shew one grace to suit with the great hope he hath taken up ; he may aflTord the devil sport, but never do him any great hurt, or him- self good.
But, may be, you will ask. How is the Christian to live up to his hopes ? I answer, first, in general, he is to be careful to do nothing in which he may not freely exercise his hope, and from the promise expect that God will, for Christ's sake, both approve the action, and reward him for it. Ask thy soul this question seriously, before thou engagest in any work. May I "hope that God will bid me good speed? Can I look for his countenance in it, and his blessing on it? It is very unworthy of a Christian to do anything, as if he were afraid God or his conscience should be privy to his work. Whatsoever is not of hope is sin, because it cannot be of faith. Oh how would this preserve the Christian heart in the right path ! Possibly thou hast a grudge against thy neighbour ; the fire is kindled in thy heart, though it flames not presently out into bitter words and angry behaviour, and thou art going to pray ; ask now thy soul whether God will accept that sacrifice which is kindled with such strange fire ; yea, bid thy soul bethink itself how thy hopes of pardoning and saving mercy from God can agree with thy wrathful, unforgiving spirit towards thy brother. Certainly, as the sun cannot well be seen through a disturbed air, neither can the eye of hope well see her object when the soul is tumultuous with anger.
CHAPTER X.
SEVERAL INSTANCES WHEREIN THE CHRISTIAN SHOULD COMPORT WITH AND LIVE UP TO HIS HOPES.
Section I. — In your company. Man is a sociable creature, made for fellow- ship. And what company is fit for thee to consort with but those of the same hopes with thyself? The saints are a distinct society from the world. ' Let ours learn to maintain good works,' Titus iii. 14. ' Ours,' that is, of our fellowship. And it becomes them to seek their company among themselves. That of Peter and John is observable, Acts iv. 23 : ' Being let go, they went to
AND TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION. 541